What Dube leaves behind at Zifa

Cuthbert Dube

Dube was initially removed from office by the same Zifa Council on May 16 – but that was later nullified on the premise that the decision was unconstitutional, as the matter had not been on the original agenda of the meeting.

He was not as lucky this time, as the meeting was specifically convened to pass a vote of no-confidence on the man who has been at the helm of Zimbabwean football since 2010 and attended by both the Confederation of African Football and Fifa.

The decision marked an end to a disastrous five years that have seen Zimbabwean football sink to its lowest ever world ranking. The Warriors are now ranked 109th in the world and 32nd in Africa, having been ninth on the continent when Leo Mugabe was at the helm in 1994.

Yet in his election manifesto, Dube had indicated, “The national team should reclaim its olden day status. Zimbabwe’s world ranking will be among the top 5.”

The catalogue of failures that characterised Dube’s tenure went far beyond estimation. Under his captaincy, the ship appeared not to have any direction, as blunder after blunder dominated each day, with Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Mashingaidze the main actor. Yet Mashingaidze has been allowed not only to remain, but to take over on an interim basis.

Thrown out
Zimbabwe are out of the World Cup all because of Zifa. The national Under-20 and Under-23 teams were thrown out of the Africa Youth Championships, after they failed to fulfil their international engagements due to a shortage of funds.

The Mighty Warriors are lucky to be still in the running for a place at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, after they failed to travel to the Ivory Coast, again for lack of adequate funds.

Worse still, our women’s senior team was fed dried kapenta while in camp. The Young Warriors had to seek donations while on national duty in Swaziland. Yet back at home, there was an association that claimed to be leading football.

Coaches were hired and fired willy-nilly and many are still wondering why German school teacher, Klause Dieter Pagels, was removed from his post when it was clear that he was building a promising team that was playing attractive Tiki-Taka type of football.

Disaster
Dube’s preferred replacement, Ian Gorowa, was a disaster as he saw Zimbabwe lose out for the first time in the preliminary rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations and for that matter, against the little Taifa Stars of Tanzania.

The appointment of Norman Mapeza and Madinda Ndlovu in a twin head coaching role and the subsequent disaster that followed it all speaks volumes of the confusion that was in the Zifa House.

Sure, there were differences between Leo Mugabe and the now-late Morrison Sifelani in the past, but they did not come close to the differences that existed between Dube and Chief Executive Officer  Mashingaidze on one hand, and vice president Omega Sibanda, board member finance Bernard Gwarada and women’s soccer boss, Mirriam Sibanda on the other.

The suspension of Sibanda, Gwarada, and Mirriam Sibanda over their different viewpoints in the manner the game was supposed to be run spoke to the division in the house and smacked of dictatorial tendencies on the part of Dube. The move should also have played a big role in limiting ideas within the board.

It surely has been five years in which Zimbabwe’s football-loving public would want to forget as soon as possible.

Tread carefully
The Zifa Council should reflect on the mistakes they made in the first place and tread carefully this time round. They need to see to it that the right man eventually takes over the Zimbabwean game.
On another note, the Dube reign has not been milk and honey for the Zimbabwean game, but we will also miss the financial sacrifice that the man made in trying to offset debts accrued before he assumed office.

His Waterfalls house is going under the hammer following a debt owed by Zifa to the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe. There were also times when the Deputy Sheriff visited his Groombridge Mansion, seeking to attach his property over Zifa debts.

However, his critics – like Zifa Councillour Sweeney Mushonga – argue that it was not his duty to bankroll the national football federation since he promised during his election campaign that he would bring sound sponsorship to the game.

“I have the experience to lead football to greater heights. I will bring sponsorship to ZIFA and all its affiliates.” That was Dube himself.
According to the Zifa constitution, Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Mashingaidze should run the show until a new board is put in office on December 5.